KINDRED

Encounters

    As they were about to leave Henry's, Paige suddenly spots Johanna coming her way. "Oh no, you have to leave now" Paige says as she tries to push Ethan away from her. "Paige, relax why are you freaking out for?" Ethan said confused."My best friend is coming and I sort of blew her off because of you" Paige said in a hurried manner. "Well, the way you are pushing me away will look worse to her" Ethan joked."Shut up, you are not helping" Paige said. 

But it was too late; Johanna had already seen them and had quickened her pace to catch them. "So is this the errand you had to urgently "do" in order to cancel our lunch?"Johanna said with a smile. "It's not how it looks" Paige started. 'Yeah, great line to start with Paige' Ethan thought. 'Again not helping' Paige thought back to him. "He is my sister's boyfriend" Paige said nervously.'Oh god, I crumble to pressure easily how the heck do I think keeping things from Jo was a good idea?'Paige thought. "Let me start again, Johanna I like you to meet Ethan Sawyer,Brooke's boyfriend, Ethan this is Johanna King my long time best friend" Paige said."It's nice to meet you Johanna" Ethan said as he stuck out his hand."Pleasure, finally meeting you Ethan. "Paige has mentioned you a couple times" Johanna said. She gave Paige a wink. Paige tried to ignore her."Well, I have to get going Paige see you later?" Ethan said. "Yeah,okay" Paige said awkwardly. 

  As Ethan left, Paige's stare lingered too long for Johanna to notice. Johanna went beside Paige."Alright, what is going on between you and him" Johanna questioned. "Nothing is going on Jo, we are just trying to get along for Brooke's sake" Paige responded."Right and the fact that he is mega hot and your type helps things" Johanna said. "I'm not attracted to him, he is just a friend" Paige defended.  "Okay, whatever helps you sleep at night" Johanna said. "Look I'm sorry that I bailed on you today, Ethan was helping me out with something that's all it is" Paige said. Johanna's face didn't seem that convinced."Jo, you know me I'll never hurt my sister, Ethan is her boyfriend and that's it" Paige said. 

Johanna finally believed Paige's words. "I'm sorry too, I have no right to interrogate you I'm just looking out for you" Johanna said."I appreciate it but I'm fine" Paige said. Their conversation soon turned more jovial. Johanna linked her arm with Paige's. "Okay,  little miss since you bailed on me, we should go out clubbing tonight so you can make it up to me" Johanna said. "Might as well then" Paige shrugged with a smile.

    That evening, Paige was getting ready to go out clubbing with Johanna and a couple of girls from Johanna's work. She was wearing a black strapless mini dress with black heels that she had "borrowed" from Brooke and never gave back.

Paige's brown hair cascaded down her shoulders as she chose not to put it up. She didn't overdo the makeup as always-as she didn't really need it. She heard Brooke laugh downstairs and Paige knew that Ethan had just arrived to spend some quality time with her sister."Do I really have to go down there" Paige said alone to her mirror.

Paige headed downstairs and saw that Brooke and Ethan were on the couch.Ethan had his arm around Brooke and they looked like they were enjoying their conversation. Paige couldn't help but feel jealousy which alarmed her because she never thought she will feel jealousy towards her sister.Paige never had to. "So I'm off, I hope you guys enjoy yourselves" Paige said nearly hurrying out the door."Hold it Paige you are not running off without me seeing you" Brooke said as she got off the couch. Paige stood there as Brooke approached her. "You look beautiful Paige,honey don't you think she looks great" Brooke asked Ethan. 'Oh god, don't ask him' Paige thought.

    Ethan had looked over the couch and Paige can tell his stare was lingering. "She...She looks great" Ethan mustered up.The atmosphere was once again electric between them. Their hearts were beating in sync again and it was like the night they "officially" met again.Paige broke the tension first. "I better get going, Jo is waiting for me" Paige said abruptly. "Are you taking a jacket, it's pretty chilly tonight"Brooke said to Paige as she opened the door.

 Paige showed her black jacket in her hand as she exited out the door."Don't wait up for me, okay Brooke?" Paige said as she left. "I'll get the food and you choose the DVDs we watch tonight" Brooke said to Ethan. Brooke kissed Ethan and left to the kitchen.

 Ethan was  thinking about Paige.He hadn't seen her dressed up like that and he was transfixed by her. It felt like his feelings for her had grown even stronger. But he knew at the moment he was with someone else, and that someone else was Paige's sister. He didn't have the heart to break it off with Brooke without hurting her and Paige. But he couldn't deny what his heart told him and wanted. He knew he will eventually be romantically involved with Paige, that was a given but for now he was happy at least to have her be part of his life.He would never want to risk losing that.

Ethan thought back to the Catherine Reilly situation and his hesitation to get involved. There were very good reasons why assigning themselves as Catherine's personal protectors can go pear-shaped for her and for them. At the moment, they had no physical evidence to present the police that Catherine's life was in danger. They only have clues from Paige's visions. Another matter was whether or not to warn Catherine herself of her impending death without her thinking they were insane. He didn't get time to properly ask Paige what she saw in her last vision before her friend spotted them. She only told him that they needed to go to Roosevelt high school and start from there. She wasn't quite sure what they were looking for but it was connected to both the murderer and Catherine.

 "So how we are going to explain to your sister that we are hanging out at her school?" Ethan asked her. "Well for starters you can say that you are taking her out for lunch" Paige explained. "And you?" Ethan said. "I can say that I'm revisiting old times at my old high school" Paige answered. "What if you bump into Catherine?" Ethan asked. " I could say that I'm writing an article for a blog I have" Paige said with a wink. "Clever" Ethan replied.Ethan smiled as he remembered the conversation but he still had reservations with going along with her plan. He settled back to embracing Brooke and let his mind drift to the chick flick that his girlfriend selected.